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I’m going to offend some people now…
I have a site that’s geared towards new shooters, or those just thinking about getting into Cowboy Action Shooting. I’m sort of surprised how often “Chest Beaters” post on there. You know the type, those who crow about how they only shoot .44 Magnum, another who says he only shoots Buffalo Bore rounds. (By the way, they are gas-checked and illegal for SASS-use). There are others who say that shooting .357 is pointless, that the only reason for that is to make light loads… and of course, that is ruining the game for everybody!
Then there are those that carp on “modifications”. You know, it’s the “you can only win with heavily modified trick guns”. I’m going to throw a flag on that play. Bull-Crap!
A lot of you know the young man who won End of Trail with guns that had a “toothpaste” action job and factory loaded ammo. Skill, practice, and experience will win out over minor internal modifications every time. A fast shooter can take stock guns and finish their entire run before I finish with my first gun, (yes, I have “race guns”). It’s the craftsman, not the tool.
As for caliber, it’s the load not the size. True story; at EoT 2003 a shooter with .45s was blazing away at some reactive targets. They just wouldn’t go down. He was livid and complained loudly that the targets were not set correctly. The next shooter, a Junior with .32s came to the line and she calmly knocked over everything and cleaned the stage, so much for “.45s trump everything”.
Of course, then there are those that say we should only shoot big bore guns, “like the cowboys of the Old West”. Guess what, calibers back then ran the gamut. Not everyone shot the caliber of guns issued by the Army. “Wild Bill” Hickok shot .36 caliber ball.
Then there are those who turn their nose up and say that “mouse fart” loads have “ruined the game”. Please! One of our top shooters is a blur with .44-40s. I’ve watched as two shooters took Over-all Top Man and Lady, shooting quite respectable .45 loads, over a field of excellent competition.
Why not just play your own game? Shoot the very best you can, however you like to shoot. There’s a category for everybody! Why complain about what the top over-all shooter is doing, if you can’t even shoot at the top of your category? Have you truly no room for improvement with what you have? Are you shooting at the very top of your abilities and you can’t improve any further without short-stroking your rifle?
There’s a whole lot more I’d like to say… but I’ll shut up now and crawl back under my rock.

The resourcefulness and talent among SASS members never ceases to impress me. Chili Pepper Pete made this awesome vaquero jacket from a leather sport coat he bought second hand. He not only shoots well and is a World Champion but goes to a lot of effort to dress the part as well. When I started folks made their own stuff because there just was not a lot available. That lead to a lot of unique items on the range. This is just one example of the kind of stuff that separates us from the other shooting sports in a GOOD way. I think it's something to be celebrated.

I personally think the biggest mistake new shooters interested in getting into CAS make, especially those that have shot other disciplines, is to go out and purchase cowboy guns without doing research. By research I mean not just reading the Wire and other places, but more importantly trying out weapons before spending a bunch of money on guns that don’t work well for CAS, or for you, and later having to sell at a loss to buy something that works better for you.
The first thing interested newcomers to CAS should do is GO TO SOME MATCHES before buying any guns or equipment. Watch a few matches and after each match talk with some of the shooters. I bet 99% of the time someone will be putting guns in your hand for you to try. Try as many of the guns as you can before deciding to purchase any gun.
If you have inherited some guns or already own some, talk with the other shooters to get their input about whether or not these guns will work well for CAS. Some will, some won't.
Never say never to reloading. Sooner or later if you really get into CAS shooting, you'll be reloading.
Before purchasing guns, clothes, leather or reloading equipment, check the Wire for used clothing, leather goods, and equipment. Get recommendations from several shooters that reload. If possible, try out a friend's reloading equipment if he/she will let you.
Bottom line is GO TO SOME MATCHES, meet the friendliest people in the world, and be prepared to have FUN, FUN, FUN.

As an addendum to Alpo's thread "Potatoes Dangerous?" I found this on the internet. So it's got to be true.
From an interesting international nutritional study:
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British, Australians, and Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British, Australians, and Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British, Australians, and Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British, Australians, and Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British, Australians, and Americans.
Conclusion:
Eat and drink what you like, speaking English is apparently what kills you.
.

An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his banker and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home.When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room, the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed.The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled, and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything.Both the banker and lawyer were touched and flattered that the preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moments.They were also puzzled, the preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them. They both remembered his many long, uncomfortable sermons about greed, covetousness, and avaricious behaviour that made them squirm in their seats.Finally, the banker said: "Preacher, why did you ask us to come?"The old preacher mustered up his strength and then weakly said: "Jesus died between two thieves, and that's how I want to go."

One of my greatest memories is stopping a car on a busy street and walking up to the window. There the woman went off on me like I was a dog. After listening to her rant about how sorry cops were, and how I had no right to stop her, I reached up and handed her the purse she had left on the roof of the car. Without a word, I turned and went back to my patrol car...but I had a grin from ear to ear.

Howdy
I only shoot real Black Powder in CAS.
Yes, there is a little bit of snobbishness involved. There, I said it.
A few simple facts:
Yes, real Black Powder is classified by the BTAF as an explosive, the substitutes are not. They are classified no different than regular Smokeless propellants.
This means different storage requirements for Black Powder than for the subs. Not so much an issue for the individual shooter, but it does make a difference when you are looking to buy some. Many municipalities, and municipal fire departments impose more stringent storage requirements on businesses that sell powder. Some shops just don't want to deal with the more stringent requirements, so they don't sell real Black Powder while they have no difficulty selling Smokeless or the subs.
Case in point: I used to buy a few pounds at a time of Black Powder at a shop about an hour away from where I live. That was the closest shop to me that carried it. I didn't mind the drive, there was usually something interesting to see in the store anyway. A few years ago they screwed up their paperwork and the BATF said they were going to have to build a new powder magazine further away from the road in order to keep selling real BP. The shop stopped selling real BP, although they continue to sell Smokeless as well as the subs, because of the less stringent storage requirements.
So right there is a good reason to shoot the subs instead of real BP. Simply easier to find locally.
The nearest place I can buy real BP now is an hour and a half away, and their prices are outrageous.
Like many others, I now go in halves with a pal and we buy real BP, Schuetzen to be specific, in 25 pound lots from one of the on line vendors. Much cheaper than driving an hour and a half to buy a few pounds at a time.
Yes, I loaded up a box of 38 S&W a bunch of years ago with APP because I could not find any bullets available that had a big enough lube groove for real BP. So I loaded up a box to shoot in an antique S&W Top Break.
Yes, I used to use regular hard cast smokeless bullets with real BP. I had to melt the Smokeless lube out of the lube grooves and pan lube with a BP compatible lube. It worked OK for my pistols, but my rifle would develop a hard, crusty fouling the last 6" or so of the bore because the bullets ran out of lube. This ruined accuracy until I swabbed my bore out about halfway through a match. Yes, I tried Lube Cookies, and every other conceivable gimmick to load regular hard cast bullets. Eventually I was putting in cardboard card over the powder, a Lube Cookie, then another card to keep the cookie from sticking to the base of the bullet. Way too much work. Then I discovered Big Lube bullets and have been using them ever since. No more wads or cookies, I simply seat the bullet on top of the powder, compressing about 1/16" - 1/8" when the bullet is seated. No, this does not distort the base of the bullet and result in poor accuracy. At least not that I can determine.
I used to cast my own Big Lube bullets, even designed one that is a standard now. These days I place an order with Springfield Slim once a year for a year's worth of bullets. 45 Colt, 45 Schofield, 44-40, 44 Russian, and 38-40.
Yes, these bullets are more expensive than typical hard cast bullets. I justify it by not practicing, so I don't have to use as many bullets as those guys who do practice.
Why don't I just use the subs?
Snob appeal.
There, I said it again.
Do I care what anybody else uses in their loads?
Nope, as long as they meet the minimum smoke requirement.

While not CAS related this is definitely cowboy. I found this print in a local antique mall but passed it up because of a light line across the middle and down one edge, as if it had been displayed behind a multi-pane window and the grid that separated the panes shielded part of it from UV’s. Anyway, it’s a powerful image and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Titled “Pay Day” by R. H. Palemske, it shows a bunch of cowboys riding into town, one with his sixgun in the air. Like them cowboys you can almost taste the dust and the whiskey. So I went back today and bought it, brought it home and touched up the frame with a stain stick and Windexed the glass and then hung it up in my cowboy room where I had another bucking bronco image in a similar style titled “The Outlaw” that I purchased in another antique store about fifteen years ago, only to find out that the other image was by the same guy. Looks like I got a collection.
Sorry, can't figure out how to rotate the image.

After looking at a lot of options I finally got some new grips for my Smith and Wesson Performance Center Schofields. Giraffe bone is what I chose and I could not be happier with them Giraffe seems to be a good alternative to ivory and has a lot of character to it.

Last week I asked about finding a prefit recoil pad or spacers to increase the LOP on my Stoeger Coach gun. Had many helpful replies and between that and further research I was able to come up with something that worked for me. So thank you all that replied with ideas and wisdom. Here's what I ended up with.
Slip on recoil pad (which gave me the desired LOP I was looking for thankfully).
The fit was pretty much perfect but I found myself not liking the look of it. As some of you know I do my own leather work and decided to make a stock cover to hide that slip on pad.....
Ended up going a step further and also made a much needed new shotgun belt as well . My old one only held six shells so this was a much needed upgrade.
Thanks again,
CD

The US Navy will pay tribute to the first female Navy jet pilot, Captain Rosemary Mariner. She passed away on January 24 following a long and brave fight with cancer.
https://wtkr.com/2019/01/30/u-s-navy-to-conduct-first-ever-all-female-flyover-to-honor-female-naval-aviation-pioneer/amp/

I suspect folks use the statement IJAFG when there are those who allow the sport to become all consuming and become so fanatical about aspects of the game that they infringe upon other folk's enjoyment.
I personally view the sport as a pleasant distraction from reality and my only concern is that I have fun. When it's no longer fun and the competition becomes all consuming, it will be time to step away.

Howdy
Remember the invite for anyone interested to come ' down under ' !!
Well I'm pleased to say that ''Jackson Rose from Ohio'' will be here in late July of this year for 2 weeks to enjoy the Gamblers Heartland Territorial held on the Gold Coast in the sunny state of Queensland, some sight seeing & fun times lay ahead.
Looking forward to meeting our American pard..I just better watch my speed as he is a retired LEO

About 7 or 8 years ago now, when we were really down and out, the choirmaster at our church wanted to help us out without seeming to be just giving us cash. He knew I like firearms and he had a WWII vintage FN .380 that his father had carried as a courier in Europe. He hadn't fired it in decades, didn't know anything about it. He asked me to clean it and then go over the basics of how it worked. I had him get a cleaning kit, CLP, etc. Spent about an hour or so working on it. Then another half hour going over the mechanics of it with him. He asked me, "How much are you charging me for this?" I said, "How about five bucks?" "FIVE BUCKS!?!?!? Here's $50." I knew he was trying to make it not seem like the charity it was, and I thanked him for that as well as for the cash. And for letting me work on his pistol.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray this cushy life to keep.
I pray for toys that look like mice,
And sofa cushions, soft and nice.
I pray for gourmet kitty snacks,
And someone nice to scratch my back.
For windowsills all warm and bright,
For shadows to explore at night.
I pray I'll always stay real cool,
And keep the secret feline rule.
To never tell a human that,
The world is really ruled by cats!

The SASS Cowboy Action Shooting Hall of Fame honors and memorializes the men and women who have, through their exemplary contributions and achievements, embodied and perpetuated the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting and The Single Action Shooting Society.
We are honored to announce the Hall of Fame Inductees for 2019; to be inducted by formal ceremony during the World Championship event, END of TRAIL- Thursday, June 20, 2019 at Founders Ranch, New Mexico.
2019 Hall of Fame Inductees:
Blackjack Zak, SASS #26828, aka Dean Friedt- Arizona
Deuce Stevens, SASS #55996, aka Steve Stevens- Michigan
Ten Ring, SASS #5821, aka Jim Scoutten- Shooting USA- Tennessee
Major Photography- Proprietors Artie Fly, SASS #25397 & Sexy Sadie Fly, SASS #25398, aka Arturo & Sima Zaldivar- Texas
Congratulations to the inductees on this well-deserved honor! We hope you will all join us during this special Induction ceremony and reception during END of TRAIL to honor and celebrate the inductees.
On behalf of the Hall of Fame Induction Committee,
Misty Moonshine